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Schools

Dundalk Elementary: Growing Bay Grasses and Maintaining 'Green School' Status

Dundalk Elementary earned Green School certification in 2008 and, in the process, made protecting the Chesapeake Bay a priority for everyone involved at the school.

The Maryland Green School Awards Program rewards schools for teaching environmental issues while incorporating opportunities for professional development, community stewardship and the implementation of environmental best practices.

Administered by the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education, schools applying for Maryland Green School certification must document environmental activities over a two-year period. Currently, Dundalk is home to seven certified Maryland Green Schools. Over the next several weeks, Patch will continue to share highlightsfrom each of Dundalk’s green schools.

Part of Growing up in Dundalk involves understanding and appreciating that Chesapeake Bay tributaries weave in and out of our neighborhoods. The teachers and administrators at Dundalk Elementary School are certainly aware of the importance of waterways in our community and decided educating students about the bay should be a central part of their Maryland Green School Certification process.

Like other schools seeking Maryland Green School certification, Dundalk Elementary began the process with a committee involving teachers from every grade level, administrators, PTA members and students. 

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Dundalk Elementary earned Green School certification in 2008 and, in the process, made protecting the Chesapeake Bay a priority for everyone involved. Alice DiLaura, a teacher at Dundalk Elementary, said the geography of the student population had a big impact on how the school approached the process.

“We have a large student population from the Turner Station area,” DiLaura said. “They live right on the water.”

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One of the most important aspects of educating Dundalk Elementary students about the importance of protecting our waterways was a partnership with the Living Classrooms Foundation and a program known as SLURRP. The Student Leadership in Urban Runoff Reduction Project conducts lessons on storm water runoff, environmental protection and pollution.

Additionally, students at Dundalk Elementary had the opportunity to grow bay grasses and raise horseshoe crabs right in the classroom. This gave students the opportunity to study biology and ecology as it relates to their local community.

Both the bay grasses and the horseshoe crabs were turned over to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to be properly incorporated into the natural environment. DiLaura said the horsehoe crabs were particularly interesting for students and teachers as they hatch from eggs and bury themselves in the classroom tanks to grow.

Protecting the bay does not begin in the waterways, but on the streets where stormwater and runoff enter the tributaries. As a result, Dundalk Elementary worked to paint storm drains in local neighborhoods to remind residents that everything we drop on the ground has a chance of impacting the environment.

Another large-scale project taken on by Dundalk Elementary was the establishment and maintenance of a butterfly garden.

DiLaura feels the butterfly garden was one of the most rewarding components of attaining Green School certification. Placed in the front of the school, it serves as a prominent reminder for all who attend or visit Dundalk Elementary.

“The butterfly garden is a visible statement in front of the school of our commitment to being green,” DiLaura said. “Our children really respect it.”

Dundalk Elementary also has an active recycling program. A “green team” of students collects recyclables from classrooms, offices and common areas within the building. The school has also implemented programs for recycling toner cartridges and cell phones.

The Maryland Green School certification application process can be a long one, with lots of detailed reporting and organization required. According to DiLaura, however, all of the hard work was well worth the reward.

In fact, she said the school is excited to apply for re-certification in 2012. An expansion to the butterfly garden is planned, and DiLaura has worked with Logan Elementary School as it went through the certification process.

“It’s just a matter of committing to being green and keeping that idea in front of people,” DiLaura said. “It’s been rewarding to be able to teach respect of the earth and the environment.”

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